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LOS ANGELES – Lonzo Ball will miss the remainder of the Los Angeles Lakers' fading season, sources confirmed to ESPN, joining teammate Brandon Ingram on the sideline for the rest of the team's disappointing campaign.
Sources said Ball has been shut down as he continues to make his way back to a grade 3 ankle sprain and bone bruise first suffering Jan. 19.
The second-year point guard is again with team doctors Saturday. In a statement issued after the team's 120-107 loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday night, the Lakers would say that Ball is making "good progress" in his recovery and will be re-evaluated again in two weeks. The Lakers (30-36) have a seven-day out of a playoff spot.
Ingram has been diagnosed with deep venous thrombosis in his ailing right arm. A source said Ingram hopes to know more about his condition Monday. Coach Luke Walton was tight-lipped Saturday, February 2, 2011
Walton said he had difficulty raising his arm with bread.
Further tests revealed deep venous thrombosis, a condition caused by a blood clot, frequently accompanied by swelling and pain in a limb. It usually happens in the body, but it can happen in the upper body.
With a banged-up roster and a playoff hopes dashed, how should the Lakers move forward?
Kyrie Irving has been captain of what, at times, has been Team Turmoil. It has been one of his primary takeaways from his time with LeBron James.
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Ingram was playing the best basketball of his three-year career prior to the condition. The Duke product a career-best 18.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game this season, but it had been 27.90 points and 57 percent shooting in six games.
According to Second Spectrum data, Ingram averaged 1.15 points per direct isolation play since Jan. 28, when the Anthony Davis trades with the Lakers into question. That figure is tied for third-most behind Kawhi Leonard and Zach LaVine in the NBA over that span.
Walton would not go into further detail about Ingram's condition.
"We've released what he's got going on, but I'm not going to get into all the details," said Walton. "I'm just finding a lot of it myself. All I'm going to say on him right now is that he's out for the rest of the season. "
Prominent athletes like Chris Bosh and Serena Williams have been affected by blood clots in recent years. Bosh had to remove due to blood clotting issues.
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Luke Walton announces that Brandon Ingram is out for the rest of the season, but does not want to answer any questions about the topic.
Ball having had fun doing some shooting without jumping and dribbling exercises on the court. He suffered the grade 3 sprain at Houston on Jan. 19, then he had a bone bruise that slowed his recovery.
The Lakers hopes that Ball, 21, will be able to heal fully and have time to work on his game this offseason. Last summer, Ball stayed on an injured knee to let it heal, only to have to undergo surgery to torn meniscus and not be able to use the offseason to work on his game.
"From my eye not being a doctor, it's not quite ready," Walton said before Ball was shut down.
With the Lakers' season they have more of a playoff contention, the organization will play it safe with its young prospects. Kyle Kuzma also missed his second consecutive game Saturday night after rolling his ankle last week. And Josh Hart continues to play despite a knee injury that has been ailing him for a few months.
The Lakers went 15-8 when LeBron James, Ingram and Ball all played this season. However, the team is just 15-28 (including Saturday's loss to Boston) when at least one did not play, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The trio has not been around Christmas Day.
The Athletic first reported Saturday Saturday.
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